


To the Stars

by thefrenchmilitary



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Angst and Fluff and Smut, Character Death, Drama & Romance, F/M, Titanic AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-26
Updated: 2018-11-12
Packaged: 2019-08-07 13:38:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,862
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16409471
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thefrenchmilitary/pseuds/thefrenchmilitary
Summary: Adrien Agreste was everything a proper aristocrat was raised to be: poised, polite, and an all around gentlemen. He was living the life of luxury and was given the privilege of boarding the Titanic, the greatest feat of human engineering. His life seemed perfect, but the truth was it weighed on him like chains. Just as he was about to take his own life on the legendary vessel, a beautiful and charming third-class passenger jumped in to save him. Fate bound them together in an explosive love, consuming them both until both the ship and their story met a tragic end. Now, eighty-four years later, Adrien recounts his time on The Unsinkable Ship and the love that had only stayed alive in his memory.





	1. Chapter 1

_Over 100,000 people waved excitedly from the docks as the largest movable man-made object in the world began to set off on her maiden voyage. Cheers and thunderous claps were the hearty send off for not only the ship, but her 2,229 passengers and crew members. This was no doubt one of, if not the, most anticipated events in modern history. The Titanic was a marvel to all who had the honor to behold her. The privilege to board her was not one to be taken lightly, a fact that was evident on the faces of the passengers who stood on the vast deck to wave goodbye to the gawking crowds. It took just over a minute for the Titanic to fully launch into the sea, dutifully sending her souls en route to New York._

The water at the depths of the ocean was pitch black. The headlights of two submarines were the only source of illumination as a group of exploring treasure hunters slowly steered their machines towards the legendary wreckage. The leader of these explorers, named Max Kanté, was crouched down by the window, an awe inspired smile taking over his features. Adjusting his glasses, he gave orders to his fellow passenger.

"It's thirteen meters away," he breathed.

The submarine inched closer and closer to the wreck until the ship came into full view. Along with the original damage it had sustained during the sinking, the Titanic had taken on a bit more wear and tear from being submerged in the ocean for so long. The wood was scratched from both sand and the local sea life and flaky moss hung from her rails and clung to her form. 

Max never let his eyes leave the ship as he gave new orders. "Okay, take her up and over the deck." 

Alix Kubdel nodded and steered the submarine until they were directly over the ship, giving them a bird's eye perspective of the vessel. Taking a video camera out of her bag, she switched it on and handed it to Max.

"Okay, we're rolling," she told him as he took the device.

Lowering his voice, Max began to speak as he recorded through the window. "Seeing her come out of the darkness like a ghost ship still gets me every time." He let out a shaky breath before continuing. "To see the sad ruin of the great ship, sitting here where she landed at two-thirty in the morning of April 15th, 1912 after her long fall from the world above."

A snorting sound caught his attention. Turning around, he saw Alix smirking down at him.

"You are so full of shit," she said. Max couldn't help but smile at her teasing. Shaking his head, he went back to the task at hand.

"Here we are again at the deck of titanic, two and a half miles down, 3821 meters, pressure outside is three and a half tons per square inch," he told the camera. "These windows are nine inches thick and if they go, it’s sayonara in two microseconds." He captured a few more seconds of the ship's deck before turning off the recording. "Alright, enough of that."

Alix continued to drive the sub around the top deck of the ship. An almost celestial air surrounded the area and, if she listened closely, it was as if she could almost hear chattering whispers of the past.

"Put us down on top of the officer's quarters," Max instructed. Using his free hand, he radioed the second submarine. "Sub two, land right over the grand staircase. Are you set to launch?"

"Yeah boss, launching Markov now."

Markov, a high tech device designed and built by Max specifically for this mission, was deployed from under the second submarine. Excitedly, Max stepped away from the window and into the free seat by Alix. Putting a headset over her eyes, Alix took hold of two handheld controllers and began to drive Markov through a hole in the ship.

Max could hardly contain himself. "Go through the first class door."

Markov sank deeper and deeper until he met the eroded carpet. It was significantly darker in this area, but Alix could still make out the first class entrance. She lead Markov down a stairwell as steadily as she could while Max urged her to drop down to B deck.

This new section of the ship held several relics. Upon first entering, a modestly sized chandelier hung from the ceiling with only a vague semblance of what must have been grand beauty. Discarded glasses from an unknown victim sat neatly by what appeared to be some sort of shirt or jacket. A few feet away was a broken porcelain doll that was securely tucked under a blanket of sand. 

As Markov ventured deeper into the ship, several eels and fish were seen swimming between debris. Alix expertly maneuvered between them as she slipped through yet another doorway. Immediately, she saw a clock sitting on a grand shelf, the time permanently set to the ship's tragic end. Moving her attention away from the clock, Alix took Markov over to the grand piano. Despite its rotten wood and damaged keys, she felt as though she could still hear the pleasant sound of the ivories if she focused hard enough.

"Okay, right there, right there! That's it, that's it! That's bedroom door!" Max's excited bursts snapped Alix out of her musical haze. Squinting into the headset, she made out the shape of the door.

Smiling, she lurched the hand-held controls forward. "I see it."

Markov floated into the room and was greeted by the broken, moss covered bed. More sea life scattered away from the approaching machine as it scoured the area for anything of value. So far, all that could be seen was random debris.

Suddenly, Alix felt Max grasp her forearm. "Hold on, go back to the right. That's a door on the floor and I want to see what's under it. Be careful, it might come apart."

Nodding, the pink haired girl eased to the right and deployed Markov's built in claw arms. Taking the ends of the door in each claw, Alix began to lift it off the floor. Once it was high enough, she twisted Markov's arms until the door was flipped out of the way. Excitement buzzed between Max and her when they saw a large safe sitting right in front of them.

"Oh baby, are you seeing this Max?" Alix gripped her controls until her knuckles were white. After several attempts they had finally found something.

Next to her, Max felt his heart jump for joy. "It's payday."

____________________________________________________________

The boat that served as the base for the team of deep sea explorers sat on the sun covered ocean. The vast amounts of light dancing off the water contrasted beautifully with the dark depths they had just been investigating. Large cranes attached to their base began to bring their submarines and Markov back up to the surface while a specialized device was used to carefully lift the safe out of the wreckage and onto their boat.

Cheers erupted from the crew as a long awaited celebration ensued. This was the moment everyone had been waiting for; the moment they'd find and resurface the Titanic's lost wealth. Several of the workers pulled out cameras in order to document what was sure to be the most important moment in their careers.

"We did it! We did it!" Max strode down the deck with unmatched enthusiasm. He hugged and thanked every crew member he passed as he made his way to the safe that was now sitting on his boat.

An eager Alix ran up to him and all but jumped on his back. "Who's the best?! Come on, say it!"

Chuckling, Max gave her a friendly punch to the shoulder. "You are, Alix."

"Woooo!" Relishing the moment, Alix vigorously shook the champagne bottle in her hand before pulling out the cork. She let the drink explode out of the bottle as she showered all the nearby crew members with it.

The energy surging through the boat was tangible as a group of workers began to cut through the safe's metal lock with a power saw. Max licked his lips with anticipation as the friction between the saw and safe sent blurs of yellow light through the open air. It felt like an eternity had come and gone by the time the workers powered off the saw.

"Go on, crack her open," Alix encouraged.

Max's fingers itched with an emotion he couldn't quite place. It felt as if there were electricity circling his entire body as he placed a hooked chain on the safe's latch. In less than a second, the chain ripped the safe's door clean off. Brown, murky water began to pour out until only the hidden contents remained.

Getting to his knees, Max reached inside and began to pull out the secret treasures. Confusion filled him when his hand returned to him with a handful of wet, clay-like paper. Frowning, he flick the paper onto the deck and reached his hand in once more. To his displeasure, only more damaged paper came out. Still, he held on to a bit of hope and reached in one more time. He pulled out what looked to be a folder of some kind, but it still wasn't what he was looking for. Frantic, he stuck both hands into the safe and felt around for anything he might have missed. He felt dread begin to form in the pit of his stomach when he realized there was nothing else to find.

"Shit," he whispered in disbelief.

Behind him, one of his men glanced into the safe. "No diamonds?"

Biting her lip, Alix nervously addressed Max. "You know boss, the same thing happened to some other guy and his career never recovered."

Getting back to his feet, the frustration finally caught up to him. "Turn the cameras off," he growled. Not knowing what else to do in the face of failure, he gave out an order. "Do whatever you can to recover that folder."

Several specialists followed Max into the boat's lab where they got to work on preserving whatever they could from the folder. At the same time, Max sat quietly while mulling over this disastrous mission. He had been certain the Heart of the Ocean would be in that safe, but now he knew it was still down with the ship. Cursing under his breath, he berated himself for getting his hopes up.

"Boss? The partner wants to know how it's going," a meek crew member told him. Slightly fearful, he held the phone out towards Max. 

Sighing, Max took the phone and forced a cheerful tone. "Hey, Dave! It wasn't in the safe, but don't worry there's still plenty of other places to look!" As Dave's irritated voice came through, Max's mind raced to find possible other locations. "Of course! There's the mother's bedroom, the captain's quarters, and all those other first class rooms! You just need to trust my instincts on this. We're close. This is just a simple process of elimination!"

As he spoke, Max wasn't sure if he was trying to convince Dave or himself that there was still hope. He knew that Dave was getting increasingly frustrated with the lack of findings. If Max didn't find the Heart soon Dave would stop funding the project. He began to pace with worry when his eyes glanced over to the work the preservation crew was doing.

"Wait, let me see that."

Shoving his way towards the picture that was being worked on, Max carefully studied it. It was a drawing of a man and a woman, both naked, lying on a couch, but Max wasn't interested in the people. No, he was focused on the necklace around the woman's neck.

His jaw dropped in awe as a small sliver of salvation filled him. "Where's the picture of the necklace?" One of the specialists placed the picture of the Heart of the Ocean in his hand. Taking it, Max's eyes flickered back and forth between the picture of the real Heart and the necklace in the drawing. It was a perfect match.

Max's heart began to beat rapidly as he let out a breathy proclamation. "Well I'll be damned."

____________________________________________________________

Across the sea, a cozy home sat in a peaceful neighborhood. The walls of the home were a deep green with pale yellow accents. Knickknacks and pictures decorated the home in a cramped, but loving way. A young woman set down two plates of food on the table before heading back off into the kitchen. The t.v. was tuned into the news, providing comforting background noise for the old man sitting out on the back deck of the home reading a book.

The man being interviewed by the local news station began to speak. “Everyone knows the story of titanic and how it sank, but what I’m interested in is the untold stories of passengers. The secret life deep inside the holes of Titanic. We’ve used my technology to go further into the wreck than anyone else.”

This caught the old man's attention. Closing his book, he reached for his cane and hobbled into the living room. His eyes focused on the t.v. as the news anchor responded to the man who was exploring the Titanic.

"Your exploration is the center of controversy. People are calling you a grave robber," the anchor said bluntly. 

The man was just forming his response when the young women came back into the room. Seeing that the old man was up and about, she frowned in concern.

"Grandpa? Are you alright?"

Nodding, her grandfather inclined his head towards the television. "Could you turn that up?"

The granddaughter walked over and turned the volume dial up as high as it could go. The old man used all his energy to observe the man being interviewed.

“I have museum trained experts out here making sure these relics are preserved and cataloged properly. Take a look at this drawing we found just today.” The camera moved to a drawing submerge in some sort of preservative liquid. “A piece of paper that’s been underwater for eighty-four years, and my team was able to preserve it. Should this have remained unseen at the bottom of the ocean for eternity--”

Suddenly, the old man's eyes widened with recognition. "I don't believe it."

____________________________________________________________

Nighttime had now fallen on the ocean where the exploration crew was stationed. Most of them had retired for the night, but the desire to find the Heart still ate away at Max. He decided to embark on one more mission before giving up for the night. Just as he was getting ready to deploy specialized equipment into the water, he was interrupted by another worker.

"Boss, there's a satellite call for you." 

Frowning, Max gestured towards the moving propellers on the machine he was getting ready to use. "I'm launching." 

The worker gave him a knowing look. "Trust me, you want to take this call."

Max looked at the worker skeptically. He wanted to get this last dive of the day over with, but it was evident that the worker had no intentions of letting this phone call go. Reluctantly, Max shut down the machine. "This better be good."

He followed the worker a few feet to the table the satellite phone was resting on. Sighing, Max picked it up while the worker gave him a piece of advice.

"You might want to speak up. He's kind of old."

"Great," Max replied sarcastically. Putting the phone up to his ear, he spoke into the mouthpiece. "This is Max, how can I help you..." Trailing off, he looked towards the worker who had informed him of the call.

"Tsurugi. Adrien Tsurugi," the worker told him.

"Mr. Tsurugi," Max repeated.

The voice of an elderly man came back through. "I was just wondering if you found the Heart of the Ocean yet, Mr. Kanté."

Max's face paled with surprise as the old man called the necklace he had been searching for by name. Next to him, the worker puffed out his chest with pride.

"I told you you wanted to take this call."

Adjusting his grip on the phone, Max was careful not to let his guard down. He had already experienced a loss today and didn't want a repeat. He approached the conversation cautiously. "Alright, you have my attention Adrien. Can you tell me who the people in the picture are?"

There was no hesitation to the man's reply. "Oh, yes. The man in the picture is me."

____________________________________________________________

Alix trailed after Max with an incredulous look on her face. Yesterday the entire mission's funding had been jeopardized due to unexpected disappointment, and now Max was inviting strangers onto the boat because they called in and made a bizarre claim.

"He's a goddamn liar! Some nutcase looking for money or publicity," she spat. She couldn't contain the anger she was feeling. Glancing over the railing of the boat, she frowned as the helicopter transporting these visitors grew closer. She did her best to reason with Max as they walked down the length of the deck. "Adrien Agreste died on the Titanic when he was seventeen, right?"

"That's right," another crew member agreed.

"So if he had lived he'd be over a hundred by now!"

Max turned to look at her as he climbed up the stairs to the second floor of the deck. "This guy will be a hundred and one next month."

Still unwilling to believe these baseless claims, Alix rolled her eyes. "Okay, so he's an _old_ goddamn liar. Look, I’ve already done the background check on this guy all the way back to the twenties when he was working as an actor. An _actor_ , there’s your first clue, Sherlock. His name was Adrien Dupain-Cheng back then. He married this girl named Kagami Tsurugi, takes her last name, and has a couple of kids---”

Max turned to her again, but there was a certain sternness in his eyes that let Alix know he had unwavering confidence in the claims of this old man. "But everyone who’s supposed to know about the necklace is either dead or on this boat, and he knows!"

The conversation was effectively over at that point. They had reached the landing pad the helicopter was easing onto. The propellers blew strong wind over the crew as several men began to unload suitcases and chests.

Alix's eyes scanned over the large pile of luggage as she quipped sarcastically. "Doesn't like to travel light, does he?"

Deciding not to dignify her question with a response, Max walked towards the helicopter's door. A group of workers were helping to lower Adrien and his wheelchair down to the ground. Smiling, Max stood in front of them and began to speak.

"Mr. Tsurugi, I'm Max Kanté. Welcome aboard."

Adrien gave him a nod of acknowledgement as he was finally lowered to the deck. Behind him, his granddaughter hopped out of the helicopter and Max made quick work of greeting her as well. Once all of their things were out on the deck, the helicopter departed and all luggage was carried down to the cabin where Adrien would be staying.

It took him quite a while, but he eventually got all his things settled into his room. The space was quite small, but the close quarters gave him a sense of comfort. He was putting down the last of his personal photos when Max and Alix appeared in the doorway.

"Are you finding everything alright," Max asked him.

"Oh yes," Adrien assured. Suddenly, his granddaughter came up behind his wheelchair and he smiled. "Have you met my granddaughter, Emilie? She takes care of me."

Emilie smiled down at her grandfather. "He has grandpa, remember? Back up on the deck?"

This reminder made Adrien lightly tap his hand against his temple, clearly dumbfounded that he had forgotten. Back in the doorway, Alix gave Max an annoyed glare at the elderly man's forgetfulness. She still wasn't sure about all of this.

Ignoring her look, Max adressed Adrien once more. "Is there anything I can get for you? Anything you'd like?"

He didn't need time to think about it. Looking up with resolve, Adrien nodded. "Yes. I'd like to see the drawing."

Emilie pushed Adrien's wheelchair through the boat as Max lead them up to the lab. After warning them to be very careful with the delicate equipment, he took them inside and lead them straight to where the drawing was sitting in a liquid solution. Leaning forward, Adrien craned his neck to look down at the drawing of himself in his youth. His heart was consumed with emotion as he saw the girl laying next to him. Closing his eyes, vivid memories of the past flashed through his mind: a rough sketch of the drawing being penciled out by a delicate hand, intense blue-bell eyes staring at him between strands of dark blue hair---

"The necklace was made from a large blue diamond on Louis XVI's royal crown. After the King's execution in 1793, the diamond was cut into a heart shape and became known as the Heart of the Ocean," Max explained, pulling Adrien away from his memories.

"It was an awful, heavy thing." Adrien all but spat at the memory. "The only time it was ever worn was in this picture."

Hesitantly, Emilie spoke. "Grandpa, are you sure that's you in the drawing?"

Adrien laughed. "Of course it's me! Wasn't I handsome?"

Not wanting to get off track, Max presented Adrien with more of his knowledge on the necklace. "I found a secret insurance claim for the necklace. Can you tell me whose name the claim was under?"

"I would imagine that it was someone named Agreste," Adrien answered.

Max nodded. "That's right. Gabriel Agreste purchased it for his son's fiancee, Lila Rossi, a week before they boarded the Titanic, so the diamond must have gone down with the ship. Your fiancee is wearing the necklace in this drawing, but she survived the sinking. There are several accounts of her saying the necklace was never in her possession after escaping the ship so---"

Looking away, Adrien opened his mouth, then promptly closed it again. Thankfully, no one seemed to notice him do this. Max continued on his factual tirade until Alix had enough of this beating around the bush. She placed a hand on her hip and addressed Adrien directly.

"Which means if you're who you say you are then you must know what happened to the necklace."

Max was taken aback by Alix's attitude. She had no right to snap at their guests no matter how skeptical she was. To try to make up for her rude behavior, Max turned Adrien's attention towards a different table filled with the uncovered possessions of passengers.

"We got each of these artifacts from the first class section of the ship," he explained. "Want to take a look?"

A shaky breath could be heard as Adrien's gaze swept over the items on the table. He immediately went to pick up an old yet elegant pocket watch. "This was mine," he whispered. He let his fingers glide over the golden back, over the now dull engraving of his family's crest. Max gave him a minute to finish admiring the watch before he got down to his level.

"Are you ready to go back to the Titanic?"

Setting the pocket watch down, Adrien gave a weak nod. As the group left the lab, it was Alix who lead the way to the observation room. There were several t.v. monitors displaying live footage from the crew's submarines. Each one showed a different portion of the shipwrecked Titanic. 

Pulling out a computer, Alix began to play an animated simulation of the ship's sinking. As it played, she began to give an oral explanation of what was being shown. "So she hits the iceberg on the starboard side. It punches holes along the bottom below the water line and the compartments start to flood. That forces the bowel to go down as the stern rises up, slow at first, then faster and faster until finally she’s sticking up in the air," she said, using her hands for emphasis. She positioned them so the were vertical with only the middle fingers touching before continuing.

"Now, the ship’s not designed to deal with that kind of pressure, so what happens? She splits," she lowered her right hand to make a right angle, "and half the ship falls back until it's level with the water. Then as the bowel sinks, it pulls the stern up vertically and then finally detaches." She broke her hands apart. "The stern section just kind of bobs like a cork for a couple of minutes, floods, and finally goes under about 2:20 a.m., two hours and forty minutes after the collision."

Adrien looked between Alix and the simulation with hesitation and a slight glint of fear. "Thank you for that in depth analysis, but experiencing it was somewhat different."

"Can you tell us what happened," Max asked.

Looking away, Adrien swallowed the lump in his throat. He shakily stood up and walked over to the monitors on the wall. He gave a quiet, heartbroken gasp as he took in the footage. His lips trembled as his eyes filled with tears.

He focused on a monitor displaying an algae and moss covered door with metal framing. The sound of the sonar resonated in his mind, but it soon transitioned into orchestral music. The algae covered door transformed into the once shiny and new piece of architecture it had been. Two attendants opened the door for him with a smile. Just as Adrien felt he could lose himself in the memory, the sound of the sonar came back at full force, bringing him back to the shipwrecked present.

Whimpering, he bought his hands up to his face. Emilie rushed out of her seat and placed a tender hand on his back.

"Come on grandpa, you should get to bed."

"No," Adrien said weakly.

"But you need to rest. You have to---"

"No!" His stubborn protest came out with more resolve. Using the strength he had left, he settled back into his seat.

Pulling a tape recorder out of his pocket, Max began to record the conversation. "Adrien, can you remember anything? Anything at all?"

Closing his eyes, Adrien's voice held a deep rooted sadness that he had carried with him his whole life. "Its been eighty-four years." Taking a few deep breaths, he did his best to compose himself. "It's been eighty-four years," he repeated, calmly this time, "and I can still smell the fresh paint. The china had never been used and the beds had never been slept in. The Titanic was called the Ship of Dreams and it was. It really was." 

As his resonating voice filled the room, Max, Alix, and Emilie leaned in as they began to hear the untold story of Adrien Agreste.


	2. Chapter 2

The ship was a true marvel, a beauty. Several of her souls were already on board, and those who were still in line waited with anticipation. The Titanic had managed to pull in passengers from all walks of life, and already the differences in class were apparent. First class passengers had been given priority and were mostly settled in. Their large trunks and stylish cars were loaded in by workers and heavy duty machinery while those with lower class tickets had less luxuries and no one but themselves to carry it. Still, the simple act of getting to travel on such a grand vessel was enough to have everyone in high spirits.

Among all the excited chaos, two cars drove out onto the pier. The driver promptly exited the vehicle and opened the door. A white gloved hand belonging to none other than Adrien Agreste settled onto the door for support as he stepped out. He tilted his black hat away to reveal his bright green eyes and hair so blonde it was practically golden in the sunlight. Stepping forward, he eyed the ship in front of him as two more passengers, his fiancee Lila and his father Gabriel, stepped out of the car.

Lila trotted up to him, wrapping herself possessively on his arm. Adrien flinched at the sudden contact, but did his best to hide it.

"I don't see what the fuss is about. It doesn't look _that_ big," he observed. All the newspapers in the country were raving about the Titanic being the largest ship ever built, but Adrien simply couldn't see what was so grand about it. He wondered if he'd be able to see it's majesty if he didn't feel so internally marred.

Next to him, Lila gave a carefree laugh. "Oh Adrien, stop joking! It's larger than anything you or I have ever seen! Just look at it!" Picking up her umbrella, she pointed to the ship for emphasis. "Not to mention that it's bound to be far more luxurious," she added with a grin.

Stepping up beside his son, Gabriel smiled down at Lila. "That, and it had the added bonus of being unsinkable. Come along you two, we should begin boarding."

As Gabriel pulled ahead of them, Adrien couldn't keep himself from voicing his suspicions. "What makes everyone so certain that it's unsinkable?"

Clicking her tongue, Lila spoke to him in an adoring manor. "It's what all the professionals are saying. Neither you nor I has experience with ship building, but everyone who's qualified swears that God himself wouldn't be able to sink this ship. What?!" Her tone changed from a loving coo to an annoyed hiss in less than a second. Snapping around, she faced the pier worker who had been trying to get their attention.

"Your luggage must be checked in on the other side of the pi---"

Reaching into Adrien's front pocket, Lila pulled out a large sum of money which she haphazardly tossed into the man's hand. "I'm putting my faith in you, sir. My most trusted attendant, Sabrina, can tell you where everything goes. Come Adrien, we shouldn't keep your father waiting."

She lead Adrien away as the worker turned to the girl named Sabrina. The Titanic was filled with hundreds of workers that could attend to first class passengers, but Lila had insisted on bringing Sabrina along for additional help. They had known each other since birth as the Raincomprix family had loyally served the Rossi family for generations.

"All the trunks in this car have to be taken aboard, and there are twelve additional trunks and a safe in the second car," Sabrina explained to the worker. "They have to be taken up to rooms B-52, 54, and 56." Without giving the man a second glance, she hurried after Lila and Adrien who had caught up with Adrien's father and were now beginning to board.

Gabriel and Lila climbed up the walkway with confidence, making everyone instinctively step out of their way. They seemed to think nothing but good things about coming aboard the vessel, but Adrien felt a wave of apprehension take over his form. The ship was set to take him to America where he would soon be forced to marry Lila. It wasn't as if he hated her, he believed her to be good company, but marriage felt like a foreign subject to him. His mother had passed away four years prior to this trip and he hadn't seen a healthy family dynamic since. This so called ship of dreams was sending him off to a nightmare he wasn't prepared to navigate.

____________________________________________________________

The Titanic's horn blared out as clouds of black smoke entered the air above her. As the sound resonated, the customers at a nearby bar could clearly hear the spectacle. They all drank joyfully, unaware that a life changing game of cards was taking place at the table in the corner.

Four people drew from a deck sitting at the center of the table. Their eyes nervously flickered across their cards and then at each other. This was the final round of the game and everyone wanted to come out victorious.

"Marinette, I can't believe you bet all our money," one of the players hissed to her partner. If they lost they'd have absolutely nothing left to their names. 

"I had to. These guys wouldn't have bet their tickets otherwise," Marinette reasoned. "You have to trust me on this, Alya. I feel really good about this round."

Groaning, Alya tensely downed her drink in one go. Once she was done, she turned her attention back to the game. As her final move, she tossed one of her cards to the side and placed one of her opponent's discarded cards in her hand. Frowning, she revealed her final results. "I'm out," she said with dread.

With her teammate out, Marinette turned her attention to the man across from her. She smiled in approval when she saw that he was out as well, meaning she only had to beat the final player in order to keep all the money and take the tickets.

Unfortunately, her moment of confidence was short lived. The man revealed his cards to the group, showing that he had gotten two pairs. Marinette bit her lip as she realized she'd need nothing short of miracle to beat that hand and with her luck things were starting to look bleak. Muttering under her breath, she chastised herself for being foolish enough to bet everything she had. Afraid to see the outcome of the match, she placed her cards down on the table with closed eyes.

When Alya let out a shapr gasp, Marinette allowed herself to slowly open her eyes. Her jaw dropped as she registered what she was seeing.

"Full house," she breathed. In a matter of seconds, the excitement caught up to her. "Full house! We're going to America!" She let out a loud string of whoops as Alya cheerfully took hold of the money and tickets, letting them sift through her hands.

Across from them, the men they had just beaten punched the table in frustration. They began to blame each other for their loss with neither one wanting to take responsibility.

"I can't believe I'm going to America!" Jumping out of her seat, Alya nearly tackled Marinette to the ground with a hug. They laughed in unison as tears of joy began to form in their eyes. Their celebration drowned out all other noises at the bar as everyone turned to stare at the squealing girls.

Behind the counter, the bartender carefully dried an empty glass with a clean rag. Whistling to get the girl's attention, he nodded his head towards the clock on the wall. "Oi, Titanic goes to America in five minutes. You two won't be going anywhere if you keep making a raucous around here," he warned.

Both girls tensed when they realized he was right. Acting fast, Marinette pulled the brown sack she used to carry her belongings out from under her chair. Alya quickly pushed all their winnings into the sack before reaching down to grab her own things. Once everything was in its place they sprinted out of the bar and pushed their way through the crowd.

"We're riding in style now! We're practically royalty!" Marinette couldn't contain her excitement. Her cheers echoed around her as she began to look for the third class boarding entry. Once she caught sight of it she urged her legs to move faster. The walkway was starting to be retracted. "Wait, wait! We're passengers, we have tickets!" Running up the walkway, she fished the tickets out of her sack and presented them to the worker at the door.

The worker glanced at the tickets. "Have you both been through the inspection?"

"Oh...um..." Marinette froze up as she looked frantically in every direction. She had no idea there had been inspections going on. For a split second, she considered telling the man that they had, but what if he asked follow up questions? Biting the inside of her cheek, she desperately tried to think of something to do.

Thankfully, Alya came to her rescue. "Of course. Everything checked out just fine," she told the worker confidently. He gave them one last look before stepping aside to let them board.

Both girls had to jump from the walkway onto the ship and once they were on the worker shut the door behind them. They walked through the narrow corridor, trying to find a way up to the deck.

"I can't believe how lucky we've been today. I thought we'd get turned away because of the whole 'inspection' thing," Marinette said.

"You need to learn to be less tense. Just act and speak confidently so one questions you," Alya told her. "Besides, we're on the Titanic! Do you know how many people would kill to be in our position? You aren't allowed to worry about _anything_ until we dock in America." Grinning, she wrapped her arm around Marinette's shoulders. They climbed the stairs to the deck in unison before splitting apart to race to the rails.

They reached them right as the last of the ropes connecting the ship to the dock were tossed away. The ship's horn cut through the air as passengers and spectators alike got in their last few waves. Caught up in the moment, Alya stepped up on the railing and wildly waved out to the crowd, screaming words of goodbye.

Curious, Marinette peeked over the large group of people. "Do you know someone down there?"

"No, but that's not the point," Alya said. "This is just for fun!"

Smiling, Marinette cupped her mouth between her hands. "Bye! I'll never forget you!"

The girls stayed by the railings for about a minute before heading back down they way they came. The halls were relatively empty with only a few passengers and staff members milling about. Pulling out the tickets once more, Marinette quickly memorized the room number they would be staying in. With most people still up on the deck it was the ideal moment to begin searching.

As she searched, Alya's awe inspired voice filled the space between them. "So the rumors are true. This ship really is amazing." Alya let her hand glide against the smooth wall. The paint was glossy and had a distinct scent. "And this is only one of the lower decks. Really makes you wonder how extravagant first class must be."

Marinette scoffed. "Please, the carpet there alone is probably worth more money than either of us could imagine. Now would you stop gawking at the walls and help me look for the room?" Giving Alya a friendly shove, Marinette held the tickets out in front of her face. "It's number 32."

They scouted the halls for a good while until Alya managed to find room 32. Stepping inside, they found that it was a tight fit. If they stood in the middle of the room and held their arms out they'd be able to touch both walls at the same time. The walls themselves were white, metal like, and cold to the touch. The beds were small, having only enough room for one person to lay on them with no space for turning over. Being in this room felt almost like being at the bottom of the ocean.

But despite all this, it felt perfect. It wasn't as if they needed all that much space, and the mattresses themselves were comfortable. Alya quickly threw her things onto the top bunk, claiming it as her own. Below her, Marinette began to neatly organize the few belongings she had as she settled into the bottom bunk. In the middle of all this, both girls felt the ship sway side to side for a few seconds before leveling out. The Titanic was officially sailing through the ocean.

____________________________________________________________

Lila stepped into the spacious room and immediately noted the lush wicker chairs and potted plants scattered about. The entire room was bathed in sunlight thanks to the large windows situated on the right wall. The maid who had escorted her in informed her that this would be her private room on the ship.

"Do you need anything else Miss?" The maid submissively asked the question once she was done showing Lila around the room. She politely excused herself when Lila made a sound indicating that she was fine for the time being.

Once the maid was out of sight, Lila walked over to one of the windows. It gave her a clear view of the ship's side deck and she made a mental note to have a curtain installed. If she could see the people on the deck she was sure they could see her.

Sighing, she left the private suite and returned to the room that would serve as a joint bedroom for Adrien and herself. Its walls were made of a dark wood with an intricate golden design weaving around the entire suite. The furniture provided was lush and strategically laid out. Not a single thing seemed out of place.

Until Lila got a look at what Adrien was unpacking.

Somehow, he managed to pack those dreadful paintings with the rest of his belongings. The shapes were distorted and the colors were garish. Each painting seemed to be the work of a child. 

"Honestly Adrien, did you have to bring those dreadful things? They were nothing but a waste of money if you ask me." She shook her head in a way that was reminiscent of a disapproving mother. Picking up a stray wine glass, she turned her attention to Sabrina, who was telling the ship's workers where to put everything. "Sabrina, do me a favor and get me a drink. No one should have to be in the same room as these poor excuses for art while sober."

"They aren't poor excuses for art," Adrien said pointedly. He set down one of the paintings and looked at it with admiration. "I think they're fascinating. They're structured enough to tell what it's supposed to be, but abstract enough to still remain a mystery. Kind of like a dream or something."

This seemed to catch the attention of one of the workers. "Sir, what is the artist's name?"

Setting the painting to the side, Adrien searched his memory. "I believe it's Picasso," he said before nodding. "Yes, Pablo Picasso was the name."

Lila let out a humorless laugh. "Picasso, _please_. He won't amount to a thing, trust me." She waited to see what Adrien would say to this and she felt a twinge of anger rise in her when he continued to unpack. Once Sabrina returned with her drink, she took a sip and rolled her eyes. "Well, if nothing else, at least the paintings were cheap."

____________________________________________________________

By the next afternoon, the ship was sailing freely towards the coast of Ireland. Captain Andre Bourgeois stood proudly as he watched the vast expanse of the ocean before him. This was his final voyage before retirement and it was a great honor to have the Titanic be the final ship he'd ever be in charge of.

"Mr. Barbot, send word to get this ship going faster so we can shave a significant amount of time off our journey. I want to make it to New York in record time," he told Theo Barbot, his second in command.

Mr. Barbot nodded and walked back into the bridge of the ship. Once he was there, he took hold of a lever that indicated how quickly the ship was going and pulled it down as far as it would go. This set of a chain of reactions, going all the way down to the lowest level of the ship where workers were shoveling coal into fires. Within a matter of seconds the Titanic was cutting through the water at full speed.

At the same time, Marinette and Alya raced out to the bow of the ship in order to get a full view of the ocean. Leaning over the rails, they gazed down curiously at the water. It was the deepest color of blue either of them had ever seen. The waves were relatively calm, giving the first few feet of water clear visibility all the way through. The girls were all smiles as they let the cool ocean air hit their faces. 

Gasping, Marinette eagerly pointed a few feet ahead of them. "Hey, look, look! It's a dolphin!" Her blue eyes glittered in admiration as she watched the dolphin breach the water. Soon enough, he was joined by about four more of his dolphin pod.

"It's incredible," Alya agreed.

Overcome with excitement, Marinette carefully climbed on top of the ship's railing. Once her stance was steady, she outstretched her arms and let the majesty of the ocean take over her body. The wind tousled her hair, the scent of seaweed and salt filled her lungs, and the sound of the water churning rang in her ears. She let out a hearty laugh, fully enjoying herself.

"I wish we could stay up here forever. It's almost too amazing for words." Alya's eyes dreamily followed the pod of dolphins. "Forget about New York. The Statue of Liberty has nothing on this."

"It's amazing, but we'd have to get back on land eventually. New York is the goal, remember?" Pausing, Marinette sighed in content. "Still, I wouldn't mind being out on the ocean for an extra day or two."

Holding out her hand, Alya helped Marinette get off the rails. "Let's stay out here on the deck. It's not everyday that we're going to get a view like this."

Marinette nodded in agreement and the two girls made their way over to a bench where they spent the next few hours.  
____________________________________________________________

The first class casual dining area was filled with elegent, yet drab music, chatter, and crystal glasses bumping together in a toast. Adrien was sitting squarely between his father and Lila, but there were more people joining in on the 'fun' tonight.

Lê Chiến Kim sat at the head of the table. He was the one who had had the idea to build the Titanic and he thought rather highly of himself. To his left, sitting across from Lila, was Mr. Kubdel. He was a businessman and the shipbuilder who had designed the ship. The last guest at their table was a young man named Nino Lahiffe. He was what Adrien's father called "new money". His father had struck it rich somewhere out West and because of his newfound wealth no one else in first class liked him or his family very much.

"She's the largest man made object in existence and Mr. Kubdel is the mastermind behind it all," Kim boasted. Picking up his glass of whiskey, he downed half of it in one go.

Mr. Kubdel lowered his head in modesty. "I may have built her, but without your vision of a ship so grand it could never be outdone none of this would have been possible. All of this," he knocked the table a few times for emphasis, "is your idea willed into solid fantasy."

"Well, I admit that it was an amazing idea on my part," Kim began. "So many people in the world are afraid to take risks, but nothing ever gets achieved without---"

Adrien averted his eyes and stared down at his drink. He wasn't sure how much longer he could bear to hear Kim go on and on about how amazing he was and how grand his ideas were. Picking up the glass, he drank everything inside and asked one of the waiters to bring him another.

"Adrien. You know I don't like it when you speed through drinks like that," his father whispered sternly.

Adrien felt his jaw tighten as the waited came back with his refill. If he were about three years younger he would have apologized to his father and set the drink aside, but these days he was growing more and more restless. His stress and anxiety ate away at him, so he locked eyes with his father and quickly finished off the second glass of brandy without breaking eye contact.

His father's shoulder's stiffened and he glared in disapproval, but Adrien didn't care. He was readying himself to ask for yet another drink when Lila swiftly swipped his glass away.

"He knows you don't like him drinking so much, Mr. Agreste. Come on Adrien, let's take a look at the food they have. Doesn't the lamb sound good? We can get it rare," she told him while pointing down at the menu. Adrien forced a polite smile, but had no time to respond.

"Wow Lila, do you plan on cutting the lamb for him and everything?" Adrien's eyes snapped across the table where Nino was giving Lila a mixed look of amusement and disbelief. "From the way you're doting on him it's almost like you're a mother." He laughed, but the amused sound was gone just as quickly as it had come. Turning back to Kim and Mr. Kubdel, he joined their conversation. "Who came up with the name Titanic?"

Kim's chest instinctively puffed out. "I did. I wanted a name that caught the attention of a crowd, but it also had to capture the glory of the ship in size and in luxury." 

He went on another one of his boastful tirades and Adrien decided he couldn't take it anymore. He curtly excused himself and shot out of his chair, not even waiting for the others to bid him a good day. He had no idea where he was going. All he knew was that he needed to get away.

____________________________________________________________

The late afternoon sun was just starting to approach the horizon. Alya and Marinette had been out on the lower deck nearly all day and the latter had even gone down to their room to grab a sketchbook to pass the time. She was busying herself with drawing a father-daughter pair looking out over the ocean.

Next to her, Alya began a civil conversation with another passenger. "What do you think of the ship?"

"It's solid as a rock, that's for sure. I had my doubts about coming on board at first, but now I can tell the Titanic was everything it was advertised as and more." She adjusted the bandanna in her hair as a man who was obviously from first class walked out on deck with three dogs trailing behind him. "Ugh, these first class passengers always being their pets down here to relieve themselves. It's disgusting."

Since she was half listening to the conversation, Marinette chimed in between shading. "It's just so they can remind us of our place in the grand scheme of things."

"Like we could forget it," the girl joked. Wiping a hand on her sweater, she held it out. "I'm Mylene Haprele."

Smiling, Marinette took her hand. "Marinette Dupain-Cheng."

"Alya Cesaire," Alya added.

After the introductions, Mylene pointed to Marinette's sketchbook. "Those are really good! Do you make any money off of them?"

Just as she was about to answer, something caught Marinette's attention. She stared at the upper deck as a boy about her age walked out and took hold of the railing. His hair looked almost golden in the late sunlight and his suit was rather form fitting, giving Marinette a good look at his physique. There was no denying that he was handsome when she found herself unable to look away from him.

Mylene's brows creased in confusion as she followed Marinette's gaze. When she caught sight of the young first class boy she gave a sympathetic look. "You shouldn't stare at him so obviously. I'm afraid a guy like him is unattainable fruit for girls like us. Just look at how he's dressed. We're worlds apart."

Alya waved her face in front of Marinette's face to snap her out of her dreamlike state. When it worked, she gave her a look that was gentle yet stern. "Don't tell me you've gone and developed a crush."

Marinette's cheeks immediately began to burn. "What?! Of course not! I mean, he's good looking and all, but I don't even know him!" Looking back at the boy, she saw a girl with long brown hair take him by the arm. The boy pulled away from her grasp, said what looked to be "I'm fine", and he disappeared back to first class while the now frustrated brown haired girl followed.

Alya had also been watching them. Leaning back, she crossed her arms. "Well it's a good thing you don't have a crush on him. It looks like he's spoken for."

"They might be related," Mylene said.

Adjusting her grip on the sketchbook, Marinette shook her head. "It doesn't matter either way. Unattainable fruit, remember? Besides it's just like I said: I don't even know him."

"Well it's about time that we head back down anyways. It'll be dark soon," Alya reminded. "Mylene, want to come down to our room? The three of us can talk some more."

Mylene eagerly accepted the offer, but Marinette looked down at the wooden floorboards. "You two go on ahead. I'll catch up later."

"You're staying up here," Alya asked.

Marinette nodded. "It's pretty relaxing, Besides, the night sky is going to be filled with stars. I don't want to miss it."

Alya and Mylene went on ahead while Marinette sank down on the bench. Opening her sketchbook once more, she began a new drawing to pass the time.  
____________________________________________________________

Orchestral music drifted through the formal dining room. Champagne was being served, hot dinner plates were brought out, and everyone in first class was dressed to the nines. In the middle of it all sat Adrien, squarely between his father and Lila, just as he always was. This was the same old routine he had done his entire life, but there was something about tonight that was unbearably different.

Adrien could see his entire future as if he had already lived it. It was filled with the same boring parties, the same mindless chatter, and the same people. It never allowed him the chance to grow because he was already the person he was expected to be. There was no room for deviation or free will. He was going to end up marrying someone he wasn't sure he loved when he wasn't even ready for anything remotely resembling marriage and he would be forced to produce and heir. He'd never be himself.

All at once, his anxieties reached a breaking point. He felt like he was screaming, but no one cared enough to hear. His eyes blankly stared down at the white linen sheet lining the table until he felt like the walls were closing in on him. Getting out of his seat, he raced out of the room.

His original plan was to just get out of the dining room; maybe even first class in general, but his legs seemed to have a different idea. Before he knew it, he was panting as he ran across the deck. The cold night air felt glass-like as it entered his lungs, causing him even more panic.

Mind frazzled and frantic, he pushed a couple out of his way and continued running. He climbed the stairs down to a lower deck, passing by several benches as he did. 

Marinette was lying down and gazing up at the stars when the sound of gasps reached her ears. Sitting up, she watched as the blond boy from before raced past her and up a flight of stairs that would lead to the stern of the ship. Confused and concerned, she gathered her things and followed him.

In his state of panic, Adrien didn't notice he was being followed. He stopped for a split second to catch his breath as tears threatened to fall from his eyes. He never thought he would do something like this, but he was growing more and more desperate. If this could end the wild storm growing inside him then he was more than willing to go through with it.

He walked over to the railing and placed his hands over the cold metal. Licking his lips, he leaned over ever so slightly, just to get a look. His face paled when he was the dark, black ocean water staring back at him, but there was no going back now. Taking off the jacket of his suit, he tossed it aside and used one arm to steady himself. His feet slowly began to climb over the railing. His entire body was shaking once he was on the other side, leaning out dangerously far.

His breathing became ragged as he realized this was it. Once he let go of the rails he'd fall towards the water and drown. Swallowing hard, he mentally prepared himself for what he was about to do.

"Don't do it."

Adrien's head snapped around, the shock of hearing a voice nearly making him lose his grip. A young woman with gentle blue eyes and dark hair was standing a few feet behind him, holding out her hand.

"S-stay back," he said with a wavering voice. He had suddenly become hyper aware of how much he was shaking. "Don't come any closer."

The girl's eyes drifted from his face to his hands. "Please, take my hand. I'll pull you back over." She was clearly scared as she swallowed a lump in her throat.

"No. If you come any closer I'll...I'll let go," Adrien threatened, but it came out rather unconvincingly. Looking away from the girl, he stared back at the water below him.

Marinette looked around the deck desperately trying to think of something to do. "You're not in the right state of mind. I don't know what's going through your head right now, but I know this isn't what you want."

Adrien shot her a side glance. "How do you know what I want? You don't even know me. This...this is the only way," he insisted. At this point he wasn't sure if he was trying to convince her or himself. "Now please, stop distracting me. You should just head back to your room and forget about this."

"I can't just forget about it. I'm involved now." Marinette took a resolved step forward. "If you don't climb back over then...then I'm going to have to jump in after you."

"What?!" Adrien watched in disbelief as she placed down a black sketchbook and kicked off her shoes. "You'll be killed!"

She shook her head as she took off her light sweater. "I'm a pretty good swimmer. The jump itself would hurt, but I can manage. Honestly, the thing I'm worried about it the water itself. We're in the middle of the North Atlantic. It's freezing."

Adrien's voice lowered in uncertainty. "Freezing?"

"Yeah, maybe a few degrees over. As soon as it hits it'll feel like your being stabbed over and over again. You won't be able to think about anything but the pain. Your lungs will burn like they're being struck by lightning and every nerve in your body will tighten." A shaky breath left her lips. "I guess I'm just hoping you'll climb back over and get us both out of this situation."

Adrien was at a loss for words. The girl's description of the water certainly gave him a scare, but it was mere seconds ago that he was sure this was what he wanted. It'd take more than the words of a stranger to change that. "You're...you don't know what you're talking about," he told her.

"But I do. I've lived most of my life moving from place to place. When I was little my family had to stay in Denmark for the winter. My dad thought it'd be a good idea to go ice skating on a lake, but I ended up falling through the ice. My dad pulled me out of the water pretty fast, but I still remember how awful it all felt." She brushed her bangs out of her eyes. "I know I'm just a stranger and you have no reason to listen to me, but I don't think anyone could see someone hanging off the back of the ship without doing something. So please, let me help you. You don't want this."

Adrien stared at her outstretched hand before looking back to her face. As she got closer, green eyes locked with blue and he could see the sincerity in her intentions. His breathing became heavy while his cold hand slowly took hold of her's. Turning his body, he changed his footing so his body was fully facing her.

Her smile was gentle as her voice took on a soothing tone. "I'm Marinette Dupain-Cheng."

"Adrien Agreste." His voice was breathy as he finally realized that she had been right. He didn't want his life to end like this.

"Alright, come on," Marinette said. She steadied herself as Adrien began to climb back over the rail. Once he was back on the deck, both he and Marinette let out a sigh of relief. 

"Thank you Marinette." As he expressed his gratitude, Adrien slipped his jacket back on. Next to him, Marinette began to put on her shoes.

"You don't have to thank me. Anyone else would have done the same." As she finished adjusting her shoe, she noticed something small and round on the floor. Bending over, she picked it up. "Hey, is this yours?"

"Adrien, there you are! I've been looking all over for you! You shouldn't just disappear like that!" Lila climbed up the stairs to the stern, but stopped in her tracks when she saw what Marinette was holding. "What are you doing with that pocket watch?! Are you trying to steal it?! Who are you?!"

Adrien stepped forward and held out his hands. "Lila calm down, she isn't stealing anything!"

"I will not calm down. Who is she?!" Lila pointed towards Marinette in an accusing manner. By this point, her screams had caught the attention of one of the guards on duty.

"What's going on here?" The guard stepped out and placed a reassuring hand on Lila's shoulder.

"This girl is stealing from my fiancee!" Lila glared at Marinette who jumped back in surprise.

"I wasn't stealing! I swear!" Her hands balled into nervous fists as the guard took a step towards her. Her eyes widened in fear when she saw his right hand reaching down to what seemed to be handcuffs.

"Enough! Lila, I already told you she wasn't stealing. The watch fell out of my pocket and she was returning it." Adrien quickly stepped between the guard and Marinette. "Thank you sir, but there's no need for any arrests tonight."

The guard looked between Adrien and Marinette. "Very well. You should all head back to your rooms. The cold weather will set in any minute now."

Once he was gone, Adrien turned to Marinette. "I'm sorry about all that. You don't deserve it." He gave her an apologetic smile and held his hand out. For a second, Marinette was captivated by his gentle eyes, but sense was soon knocked back into her. She placed the pocket watch in his outstretched hand and he soon excused himself. He escorted Lila away, but not before she gave Marinette one final glare.

Marinette's lips formed a straight line as she hoped she'd never have to run into her again, but when Lila gave a mischievous nod all the fear of being accused came rushing back. Turning around, Marinette found herself face to face with a girl she hadn't noticed before. She had short red hair and large glasses which she pushed up her nose as she spoke.

"So you 'found' the pocket watch? Is that your story?" The girl didn't wait for a response. "It seems more likely that you tried to steal it, but acted like you were returning it once you were caught."

Marinette looked at her in confusion. "Are you trying to intimidate me? I already said I didn't steal it and that's the truth."

The girl looked at her with laser focus. " _I'm_ not trying to intimidate you, but you know, that pocket watch is very important. Once Mr. Agreste finds out it was nearly lost he'll be thrilled to meet the girl who returned it. That's why I'm inviting you to the first class dinner tomorrow evening on his behalf."

Marinette blinked. "The...what?"

"I don't expect someone of your social standing to understand etiquette, but it'd be rude not to attend. Especially not when everyone will be expecting you."

"Everyone? Why would everyone be expecting me?" Marinette's mind raced as it tried to make sense of the girl's words. "Who are you anyway?"

The girl evaded the question. "The dinner starts at eight o'clock sharp. Don't be late."

With that, the girl left, leaving Marinette a confused mess.


End file.
